Contact: Marty White, 630-260-6200

CAROL STREAM, Ill., Dec. 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- A downturn in the economy has not hampered the giving among active Christians in the U.S., according to a new poll. In fact, 39 percent said their giving has increased this year while 52 percent said it has stayed the same. Only 9 percent have decreased their giving compared to last year, most reporting it is because of a personal financial situation.

"From this study we learned that most of the respondents refuse to let the downturn affect their giving," said Cynia Solver, Director of NationalChristianPoll.com. "We found a sense of optimism about giving at the holidays, despite negative reports about the U.S. economy."

NationalChristianPoll.com regularly surveys the attitudes of committed churchgoers on issues of faith and culture on behalf of Christianity Today International, a publisher of magazines and websites.

Among the findings, 64 percent said they carefully set a budget for Christmas gifts, and, of those, 68 percent said they will spend up to $749. Forty-one percent said they use a credit card to pay for gifts, but will pay it off quickly. And 54 percent said they only use cash to purchase gifts.

While the season causes stress, 71 percent said they were either under very little stress at this time of year or were not stressed at all. It's encouraging that about one-third of active Christians are not at all stressed.

NationalChristianPoll.com is a service of Christianity Today International, founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. Christianity Today International is the publisher of 13 print periodicals, including Christianity Today magazine, online church leadership resources, and a variety of websites offering exclusive news and resources from a Christian perspective.